Level 5 Flood
by Might is Right
Summary: The ideas of a scientific researcher have spawned a new plan that threatens to disrupt the balance within Academy City. This time, Level 5 Espers are targeted. How can Touma and the others put an end to this plan? Involves OCs
1. A Certain Experimental Project

**Quick author's note before I get on with this story. I recently got into Raildex and I think it's a great series. I'm still quite new to the series and I've only seen the anime, so my knowledge on the series will be very lacking. I hope this doesn't cause any huge problems with you. Also, this story will contain OCs, but I will attempt to use the canon characters as much as possible although they might appear OOC. I hope you enjoy this first chapter!**

…

Roland Arin twisted his wedding ring nervously as he sat in heavy traffic, the honking of horns in the background. The middle aged man was sitting in the passenger's seat of a black luxury car, a woman who was obviously taller than him in the driver's seat. The two of them were dressed in white lab coats and black dress pants, but Roland was wearing a cream colored dress shirt underneath while the woman wore a plain white t-shirt, although it couldn't be seen because she had buttoned all of the buttons on her lab coat. The woman tapped the steering wheel of the car anxiously, glancing at her companion to see him messing with his ring.

"Something wrong, Roland?" she asked as the man glanced at her and sighed.

"I'm just nervous." said the gray haired man as the woman laughed.

"You're nervous about giving a presentation in front of some old geezers and your idiotic peers? That's a new one." said the woman sarcastically as the man smiled slightly.

Still, Roland couldn't help but feel nervous. While Alice had a way of making him feel better, even the smallest possibility of his plan getting rejected made him nervous. The short man twisted in his seat, trying to get comfortable.

"Alright, you've got a point there, but I still can't help but feel nervous. Let's just say that there's a possibility the plan is rejected. What then? Our hard work and the sacrifice the volunteers made will have gone to waste. I would feel terrible." replied Roland, looking out the window at the pedestrians walking alongside the road.

Alice frowned as the car inched forward. She had spent nearly twenty years married to this man, yet she never got used to his nervous chatter.

"The plan will be accepted and here's why. While you're a more obscure researcher, you have no record of failure. Your peers are better known, yes, but they've set up grand schemes that have failed every time. They're more likely to accept your plans because you're someone who has demonstrated competency. Don't lose your nerve, Roland. Our efforts will not be in vain." said Alice seriously as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, her voice growing quiet.

Roland sat quietly as he thought about what his wife had just said. Alice had a point and Roland smiled. His wife was right. He couldn't lose his nerve.

"Alright, here we go." said Alice as the traffic up ahead cleared, the car moving smoothly towards its destination.

…

Roland and Alice stood in front of the solid wooden doors that led onto the stage. They were both silent, concentrating on the task ahead of them. Roland took a step forward and put his hand on the door so that he could enter the stage. His future was beyond this door.

"What is it the Japanese say? Ganbatte? Give them a run for their money, Roland." said Alice as Roland nodded his head, pure determination in his eyes.

He pushed the doors open and walked onstage.

He could feel their gazes on him. Roland smiled confidently as he reached the podium to the side of a large projector screen. He stared out at the crowd of his peers, every one of them wearing a suit or a lab coat. It was time. He cleared his throat and began as the lights dimmed.

"My name is Doctor Roland Arin. I am a certified researcher of Academy City and I am here to propose a new plan in order to further research in the field of Esper Abilities," he said as the projector screen displayed 'The Machine Shop Project' in black letters. "I believe everybody knows of the recent failures of the Level Six Shift Plan and the Radio Noise Project."

Roland snickered to himself as he noticed several members of the audience shift in their seats uncomfortably. He had struck a nerve. He continued with the presentation. The projector displayed several graphs and other scientific data.

"I created the Machine Shop Project in order to further Esper Ability research by utilizing several ideas that were very apparent in the Level Six Shift, the Radio Noise Project, and the Level Upper Incident. Through extensive research, I have developed a plan that might be the only practical way to induce a level six shift," said Roland as he pointed to the information displayed behind him. "My company, POLYGON, has researched the AIM waves of the seven Level 5 Espers within Academy City. Using the data obtained from this research we have developed a way to mimic the AIM waves of a Level 5 Esper."

The crowd began to murmur, the sound filling the silent room. Roland stood at the podium waiting for the noise to die down. Once everyone became quiet, he continued.

"POLYGON's development allows us to hardwire an individual to have similar wavelengths as a Level 5, making them a Level 5 as well. We call the process 'hardwiring' and we will begin testing on Child Errors as soon as you approve the project. Should the project be approved, we will be able to boost the lowest ranked Espers to Level 5 with no trouble at all." stated Roland as there was more murmuring.

The researcher was about to continue when somebody in the crowd raised their hand. Roland nodded his head as the person asked him a question.

"You say that you've utilized concepts in the Level Six Shift Plan, the Radio Noise Project, and the Level Upper Incident, but so far you've only really explained the Level Upper Incident. Where do the other two projects factor into this plan?"

Roland smiled calmly and continued the presentation. The question was a perfect transition to the next part of the presentation.

"That is an excellent question. The other two projects are actually the next stage of the project. Once we have created enough Level 5 Espers, POLYGON will create the Level 5 Network, subconsciously linking them all together. This idea was used in the Radio Noise Project, but I have tweaked this idea. The Level 5 Espers will not share memories and experiences, but will be able to contribute calculation ability to the command center," explained Roland as the projector displayed data from the Radio Noise Project and the Level Six Shift Plan. "Finally, I believe everybody here also knows a certain Level 5 Esper by the name of 'Accelerator'. His current state only allows him to use his powers when the calculating power of the MISAKA Network contributes. The command center of the Level 5 Network will work in the same way. Imagine a Level 5 Esper who could receive calculations from tens if not hundreds of other Level 5 Espers with just the flick of a switch. That person would be able to defeat any enemy in battle with ease and, if my calculations are correct, reach Level 6 at least for a moment. Any questions?"

…

**I apologize if this chapter felt awkward. It has been a while since I wrote anything so I am currently using this story as a sort of warmup. I hope that the OCs were not too obnoxious. There will be more OCs coming, but canon characters will be a major part of this story. Please review if you liked the chapter and want to see more! **


	2. The Missing Link

**Thanks for the feedback, guys! I'll keep in mind what you guys said and I'll continue to research things in the anime/LNs so I can make the story as authentic as possible. I hope that my OCs so far aren't too annoying. I'll be attempting to use canon characters this chapter, so don't be too disappointed if they're OOC. Also, this chapter will be very dialogue heavy because this chapter is all about characters interacting with each other in order to advance their own personal agendas. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

…

**Arin Residence**

Usually the house would have been full of life, but tonight it was largely silent. The only light within the house came from Roland's den, a small but cozy library like room with a desk and a computer surrounded by various books on AIM and other Academy City related sciences. The researcher was sipping a glass of water as he scrolled through documents on his computer. He suddenly stopped scrolling and his eyes scanned the computer screen, pinpointing important data he needed for the Machine Shop Project.

"This sure brings back memories." said Roland unenthusiastically as he sat back in his chair, sighing.

The presentation had been a major success, but he didn't feel like celebrating. There was still way too much work to be done. Also, reading about the past project he had been involved in was very depressing. Two photographs appeared on the computer screen and Roland froze. He slowly put the glass of water down and stared at the computer screen. Even after several years he couldn't shake the terrible feeling whenever he saw the two Espers in the photographs. Memories flooded into Roland's mind and he lost his focus.

**A few years earlier…**

"Researcher entering the testing area. Experiment shall commence shortly."

The white doors slid open and Roland entered, holding a clipboard and a long handled flashlight. He looked around the room and appreciated the effort put into making the scenery authentic. Large concrete buildings rose high above him and he was currently standing in the middle of a street. It was a perfect imitation of a city, minus the civilians of course. He raised the flashlight and shook it a little as he called out into the city.

"It's time for the last set of experiments. Come on out, Musujime." said the researcher as a teenage girl appeared in front of him, teleporting from some location within the fake city.

The girl had tied her long dark red hair into two ponytails and was still wearing the dark blue coat around her shoulders like a cape. She wore a pink crop top and pleated skirt and also had a flashlight dangling from a rope wrapped around her wrist. The girl grinned when she saw the flash light Roland was holding.

"Is that for me? You shouldn't have." said the girl as Roland tossed the flashlight to her, catching it with ease.

"Consider it a graduation gift. You've shown great promise, Awaki. You have the potential to become a Level 5 if you continue to work the way you have since the project started. This'll be one of the last sets of testing before the qualifications are met. Maybe a bit premature, but congratulations." said Roland.

"Well, let's just get started. I don't want to be stuck here for too long. The sooner I get to Level 5 the better." replied Awaki as she stretched.

Roland checked the time and wrote something on his clipboard. He nodded to the girl.

"You have permission to begin."

…

Roland ran through the empty streets of the fake city, furiously scribbling on the clipboard as Awaki teleported swiftly throughout the city, expending her abilities through strenuous use. The researcher smiled with joy as he continued to write observations.

"This is excellent! She's shown a great increase in strength since the last series of tests. It's working!" exclaimed Roland.

Suddenly Awaki stopped. She stood on the sidewalk, breathing heavily. Roland approached her carefully, worry on his face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked despite knowing the answer already.

"I-I'm at my limit. I can't go on," she gasped as Roland nodded his head, writing more onto his clipboard.

"You've worked hard today. Just one more extremely short range teleport and we'll call it a day. Just teleport into the concrete building you're standing next to and I'll get you some food and drink. How about it?" asked Roland as Awaki grinned, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

The researcher glanced down at his clipboard to check what he had written, Awaki disappearing from his vision for a moment. That was when he heard the scream. He immediately looked up and to his horror saw the girl's leg stuck in a concrete wall. His eyes widened and the clipboard fell to the ground. Awaki's screams echoed in his mind, but Roland rushed to help her. Unfortunately, as soon as Roland was close enough to do anything, the leg was pulled from the wall. Blood splattered all over Roland's lab coat and the researcher fell to the ground, disturbed by what he had seen. He couldn't think. He could only hear the screams. He felt sick.

"Roland!"

**Arin Residence**

The violent shaking woke him up. The researcher gasped and stood up from his chair, wildly looking around. Somebody grabbed his shoulders and shook him. The face of his wife entered his mind and he relaxed a little. He smiled halfheartedly as he looked up at his wife.

"You're back already?"

"What the hell was going on, Roland? You were thrashing around in your chair and I've never heard you scream so loudly before. Did you just have a bad dream?" asked Alice, crossing her arms.

"I was recalling the Level 4 Exhaustion Project. Something went terribly wrong and I just had a nightmare about it." explained Roland as he stood up slowly, holding onto the desk for support. He walked out of the den and headed for the kitchen, his wife following close behind. "I know living in the past is silly, but the past doesn't just go away, Alice."

Roland sat down at the kitchen table, rubbing his forehead. He felt sick. Alice handed him a glass of water and the two of them sat down, looking at each other.

"I know this isn't the most ideal time to talk about science related things, but we have to do it now." said Alice, Roland shaking his head.

"No, it's fine. Talking with you will definitely clear my head. I'm already feeling a lot better." said the short man as he grinned weakly, drinking from his cup.

"You've probably forgotten about this, but I haven't so I'll help you remember. Back when the project was still in its infant stages I wanted to talk about specific details related to who the command center would be and how we would acquire test subjects. You disagreed and we eventually decided to cross the bridge when we came to it. We're at the bridge now."

Roland nodded his head. He did have a vague memory of that night. He had been too afraid to delve into specifics because he was afraid the project would be shot down. The empty glass was pushed to the side and the discussion began.

"Alright, Alice, I'll cross the bridge with you now. You want to know who I plan on using as the command center, correct?" Alice nodded her head. "I'm not going to use Accelerator."

"What? Why not? He's the strongest Esper in Academy City and the current network he's linked to is insufficient." Alice saw the look on Roland's face and sighed. "Alright, fine, he's a bit of nutcase, but I've heard that he's developed a soft spot for a certain Last Order."

"My reasons go deeper than that, Alice. I don't want to use Accelerator not just because he's crazy, but also because he lacks what I want in a command center: caution. It's actually in good fortune that I remembered the Level 4 Exhaustion Project because that's what the project was missing. We should have been careful with the test subjects, but we sort of lost ourselves in our initial success and worked them like dogs. Look what happened." explained Roland as Alice held up her hands in defeat.

"I won't argue with that. Speaking of that experiment, you only seem to have nightmares about that teleporter girl. What happened to the other girl who could have graduated?" asked Alice innocently.

"First of all, her ability was Move Point. Second of all…," Roland paused. He recalled something that he had read on his computer before falling asleep. Something within Roland's mind clicked. "You just reminded me of something important, Alice. Thank you very much."

The researcher ran from the kitchen table to his den. He quickly found his phone on the floor and quickly scrolled through his contacts. Thankfully, he still had the number he wanted to call. He quickly dialed it and waited for an answer on the other end. After a few seconds of waiting he got what he was looking for.

"Hello?"

"Is this Takitsubo Rikou? My name is Roland Arin. I worked with you several years ago during an experiment that tried to elevate you to Level 5. Do you remember me?" he asked quickly, hoping she wouldn't just hang up right away.

"…Yes. I remember you."

"Excellent. I apologize for the short notice, but I was wondering if I could meet to talk to you about something in private. Would you be willing to meet me somewhere tonight?"

"Ok."

Roland quickly told her where to meet him and Rikou hung up soon after. Roland slipped the phone into his pocket and went to leave the house. Alice asked where he was going as he was putting on his shoes.

"I'm meeting an old student of mine. I'll be back soon. We'll begin the project tomorrow." Roland smiled. "I understand your confidence now, Alice. We won't fail. You're the brains of this operation after all."

And with that the short middle aged researcher walked out of the house, the door closing silently behind him.

**A Certain High School**oround. Awaki'

The ringing of the final bell could be heard throughout the school and within seconds hordes of students flooded out of their classrooms, hurrying towards home. Among the sea of students was Kamijou Touma, a Level 0 with a peculiar power in his right hand and an awful streak of bad luck. He yawned as he walked towards the exit of the high school, suddenly ambushed by two individuals.

"Kami-yan! Where do you think you're going?" said his friend Tsuchimikado as he appeared in front of Touma, surprising him.

The blonde haired boy was quickly joined by Aogami Pierce, a blue haired pervert who was known as the "Fetish King." Touma backed up in surprise.

"You guys were looking for me?" he asked as Tsuchimikado nodded his head.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to hangout after school because this idiot," he gestured to Pierce. "Forgot to do his homework and has to go to afterschool lessons soon."

Touma scratched his head. He tried remembering if he had any homework, but couldn't remember anything all too clearly. He shrugged his shoulders and agreed to hangout, the three boys walking towards the locker bay together. Unfortunately, disaster struck once they reached the locker bay. Aogami had to get something from his locker so Touma and Tsuchimikado were chatting when suddenly there was a huge commotion in the area.

"What the hell did you just say, punk?!"

"Mind your own business!"

There was a solid thud and soon people were shouting and throwing stuff at each other. People were fighting everywhere in the locker bay, Tsuchimikado and Aogami quickly looked at each other and then at Touma. The two quickly ran from Touma, leaving him behind.

"Sorry, Kami-yan but I don't feel like becoming a victim of a high school fight because of your misfortune." said Tsuchimikado as he ran to escape the brawl that was spreading.

"I have afterschool lessons! Gotta run!" shouted Aogami as he hauled ass with Tsuchimikado.

Touma could only watch helplessly as his two friends abandoned him in the middle of a warzone.

"Fukou da."

…

The fight was quickly broken up by the teachers, but Touma had not been spared. He took a few hits in the ribs and they ached terribly as he walked out of the high school, his right hand covering his wounds. He sighed as he looked up at the sky. The clouds were black and they rumbled angrily, big fat drops of water soon pouring down on him.

"Of course it rains on the only day I don't bring an umbrella." sighed Touma as he took off running in the direction of his house.

He ran from the school into a local park in order to save some time and was making great progress until he heard a piece of conversation that caught his interest. The high school boy stopped running and looked around the park to see where the voice had come from and finally pinpointed the voices to be near a large bush. He crouched and carefully crept up next to the bush to hear what was being said.

"You shouldn't have come if you didn't feel comfortable."

"No, I had to come. I still haven't repaid you."

"…I'll get right to the point. I need data on your ability. Would you be willing to undergo more experiments?"

"…"

"I apologize for bringing you out here into a cold and rainy park, but I thought it best to ask you in person for something this personal. I understand if you no longer want to be experimented upon after what happened in the past."

"No, I'll do it just this once."

The rain continued and made parts of the conversation difficult to hear, but Touma managed to make out most of it. He caught words like "Level Six" and "hardwiring" which immediately reminded him of his fight against Accelerator. Touma remained crouched next to the bush for a few more minutes trying to catch more pieces of the conversation, but there was only the sound of falling rain so he stood up to find that the mysterious speakers were long gone. Questions swam in his head, but Touma decided to think about what he had heard later because he was completely soaked in water and Index was no doubt waiting for him to get home. He didn't want to get his head bitten today so he quickly ran home, unaware of what he had just gotten himself into.

…

**And that's the second chapter. I was originally planning to include Accelerator in this chapter, but I'll save that for later. I hope you guys didn't think this chapter was overly boring due to the focus on dialogue. I promise that there will be exciting action scenes later. I used Awaki, Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Rikou, and Touma in this chapter and I hope I didn't get them too OOC. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review if you want to see more! **


	3. Project Start

**This will be last chapter for around a week because I don't have a lot of time to write on the weekdays. Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter! I'll be using canon characters a bit more in this chapter. I don't have anything else to say so here's the chapter!**

…

_Weeks past and nothing unusual was reported in Academy City. Touma continued to think about he had heard in the park on that day, although it didn't have priority over schoolwork and other things that were directly relevant to his life. Despite this, Touma never shook the feeling that what he had heard in the park was not meant to be heard by others. He was moderately concerned and was prepared to act if something strange were to happen within days of him hearing the conversation at the park, but he started to relax once weeks started to go by with nothing out of the ordinary happening…_

**Academy City **

The white haired teenager famously known as "Accelerator" walked along the streets of Academy City calmly, using his cane to balance himself as he walked. He had recently visited a convenience store in order to buy black coffee, but was disappointed to find that the store had run out. The Level 5 Esper could only hear the sound of the crickets chirping as he walked, his mind wandering. It was dark out, but the streetlamps that lined the sidewalks provided more than enough light for anybody who happened to be out and about during the night. His thoughts eventually settled on Last Order, the annoying little girl who was currently living with him. He grimaced at the thought of her annoying remarks once he arrived home and decided to pick up the pace, taking a shortcut through a nearby alleyway.

He was almost out of the narrow corridor between buildings when suddenly somebody appeared at the end, blocking his exit. Accelerator couldn't see who they were but instantly knew that they were going to be a pain in the ass. He stopped and sighed, looking at the person blocking the exit with an annoyed look on his face.

"Whoever the hell you are, get the hell out of my way before I have to send you flying straight through a building." said Accelerator halfheartedly, noticing his own lack of energy.

"Harsh words, asshole. Did you guys hear that? The _cripple _thinks he has any strength to deal with us!" laughed the figure.

The word "cripple" certainly had an effect on Accelerator. His face twisted into a snarl and the laughter that followed the insult only made him angrier. He activated the electrode on his neck and chuckled.

"I usually wouldn't waste my precious time with you pieces of trash, but I'm pretty bored. I could use some entertainment and I can't think of anything more fun than forcing you guys to shit after I crush every single one of you." said Accelerator deviously as he took a step towards the figure blocking the alleyway exit.

Despite the fact that the strongest Esper in all of Academy City was advancing towards him with killing intent, the figure didn't seem worried at all. He spit at Accelerator's feet and continued to talk, not moving a single step from where he stood.

"Oh, you don't know? We've got a Level 5 backing us, asshole. You even lay a finger on us and I guarantee our boss will use you as a punching bag when he finds out ab-."

_Crack_

The figure fell to the ground, Accelerator turning around to grin sadistically at the rest of the thugs standing in the alleyway.

"Let's see who's stronger: a few worthless thugs or a poor cripple who can't walk without the support of a cane!"

…

The thugs were swiftly taken care of, Accelerator switching off his electrode to preserve its battery. He had gotten bored halfway through beating them into a pulp so they were still alive, although barely. He walked over to a thug who was whimpering on the ground and knelt down to look at him.

"So you've got a Level 5 backing you, huh? How about you tell me where he is so that I don't have to stomp your face in?" said the white haired Esper quietly, the thug coughing up blood.

"P-Please don't hurt me. I'll tell you w-where he is! He's at our hideout not too far from here. Old underground parking garage next to the c-convenience store after leaving this alleyway. Oh god it hurts…please don't hurt me…"

Accelerator stood up and thought about what the location described by the thug. A supposed Level 5 backing a group of thugs who stayed in a parking garage next to a convenience store? Seemed rather…convenient. The Level 5 Esper smiled to himself as he turned to leave the alleyway, heading towards the parking garage. Fighting thugs wasn't much fun anymore, but fighting a Level 5 was guaranteed to be interesting.

"I wonder who it is? Dark Matter? Meltdowner? The rumored 6th Level 5? Oh, I hope it's him!" laughed Accelerator as he continued towards the location the thug had described.

…

The thug had not lied. Sure enough, the convenience store soon appeared before Accelerator's eyes, the parking garage next to it. He went to enter the parking garage, but found that the entrance had been blocked a steel gate. The middle bars of the gate were bent enough to allow somebody to slip through, but Accelerator didn't feel like slipping in silently. His ability made short work of the gate and the racket that could be heard from within the parking garage made him smile as he descended into the dark depths of the parking garage.

**Abandoned parking garage Level 2**

Tamezou*, the leader of the parking garage gang, was drinking a beer when suddenly the door to his private room was broken open with incredible force. The gang leader dropped his beer in surprise, spilling it all over his clothes. Tamezou ignored the wet clothes and instead looked to see who had dared to disturb him.

"So you're that Level 5 every loser in this place was blabbing about? You don't seem like the 6th Level 5 and I've never seen you in the Level 5 database. Just some idiot playing pretend, huh?" said a white haired boy in a disappointed tone as he walked into the room, using the cane to support himself.

Tamezou's eyes widened when he saw who the intruder was. It was _the _Accelerator. The gang leader cracked his knuckles and laughed. This was the perfect opportunity to prove that he was a Level 5 who was capable of standing up against Accelerator. A bright white flame appeared in his hand and Accelerator glanced at it with boredom.

"A Pyrotechnician? I need to get home soon so I'll make short work of you, you piece of shit faker."

"That's where you're wrong, bitch! I'm the real deal! Eat this!" screamed Tamezou as the white flame exploded into a column of roaring white flame, shooting straight towards Accelerator.

The Level 5 Esper raised an eyebrow as he watched the gang leader attack. He grinned as the column of flame came close to scorching him, breaking into several smaller fires at the last second. The smaller fires were deflected away from Accelerator, leaving him completely unharmed. Tamezou looked surprised and prepared another attack, stopping when Accelerator started clapping mockingly.

"Bravo, you've impressed me," said the Level 5 Esper as he cracked his neck, taking a step towards Tamezou. "I'll give you some credit for that last attack, but did you know? A shitty ability is still shitty no matter how much you enhance it!"

With that last remark the white haired boy let out a scream of anger, stomping the ground. The reaction was immediate, the ground splitting underneath Tamezou's feet. The gang leader panicked as he tried to regain his footing and didn't notice Accelerator speeding towards him, taking a direct punch to his face, smashing him against the back wall. The thug fell to the ground and Accelerator noticed that the defeated enemy started to twitch uncontrollably. He shrugged and turned to leave the parking garage, a smile on his face.

"Well, I guess I'll pick up some coffee from that store before I head back."

**POLYGON AIM Research Facility**

Alice Arin was very bored. She loved her job, but the current boredom she was feeling made it very difficult to like the situation she was in. She was supposed to be meet with the original two volunteers for the project in order to talk about entering the program today because they had asked for it to be rescheduled. Alice checked her phone to check the time. She frowned and buried her head in her arms, giving in to boredom. They were very, _very _late. Alice tried to sleep, but the God of Sleep would not come so she decided to review files from the project. She started the computer up and quickly located files that her husband had sent to her. The Machine Shop Project had officially started a few weeks ago. Child Errors and volunteers had been recruited to participate in the project. However, the growing Level 5 Network still didn't have a command center, something Roland was supposed to take care of.

"Excuse me."

Alice looked up from the computer to see two boys standing in front of her desk. They both appeared to be high school students.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Can I help you?" asked Alice as one of the boys, the taller of the two, nodded his head.

"Yes, my brother and I are here to discuss our participation in an experiment with a researcher named Mrs. Arin. Do you know where she is?" he asked as his brother nodded his head quietly.

"I'm the researcher you need to talk to. I assume that you're the brothers Halifax?" she asked as the two nodded their heads.

Alice input their names into the database and pulled up their files. She looked at the taller boy.

"You're Michael Halifax, a Level 4. Your ability is Shell Shocker," she looked at Michael's brother. "You're John Halifax, a Level 2. Your ability is Materializer."

"Yes, that's correct. We would like to begin the program as soon as possible." explained Michael as Alice stood from her chair and looked the two students over.

There was a stark difference between the two. Michael was taller and far more built than John who was mostly skin and bones. They both had brown hair and brown eyes although Michael seemed to prefer shorter hair. Michael seemed to like to dress casually, wearing a red pro athletic team jersey and black athletic shorts while John dressed in a light grey dress shirt with grey dress pants. Alice sighed and leaned against the wall, looking at the two. They were certainly interesting subjects.

"I can run the process on both of you now, but I have to go over the risks first." explained Alice. "First of all, there is a possibility of death. We're doing some serious modification to your brain and it might cause serious side effects. Also, your ability will never be the same. We're messing with your personal reality and it will be permanently warped after the hardwiring process. Do you two still want to go ahead with this process?"

"Yes."

…

"How do you two feel?" asked Alice, looking at the two brothers who were sitting at the other end of the table that sat in the Analysis Room.

Michael looked pained but still managed to smile. John just frowned and groaned.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't have a headache." said Michael, Alice smiling as she wrote something on a notepad.

"That's normal. I suggest that you two go home and rest for a while. Do not use your powers outside of the testing areas in this facility. I know it's tempting to show off in front of your friends, but just don't. In fact, don't even mention the fact that you're involved with this program. You should be free to go. I'll have you reexamined within a few days so just rest and make sure you keep in mind what I've said"

The two brothers stood up and quickly left. Alice stayed behind for a few minutes to finish up her notes and went back to her office. Upon arrival she noticed that a girl wearing her school uniform was inside. The two smiled at each other as Alice sat down at her computer.

"Hello there! Can I get your name?" asked the researcher as the girl nodded.

"My name is Saten Ruiko and I wish to participate in the experiment."

…

**References: *I don't expect anyone to remember him but Tamezou is a canon former Skill Out gang member **

**I think we've introduced almost all of the OCs in the story with this chapter. I really liked working with Accelerator and I hope I didn't make him too tame. Accelerator and more of the original Level 5 Espers will appear in the future. They're a pretty big part of the story after all. This chapter was sort of a setup for the next chapter and the rest of the story. I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will most likely be out this Saturday so please wait for it!**


	4. PROCESSOR

**Here's the fourth chapter! I hope that the wait wasn't too long for this chapter. I wrote and edited the chapter over the weekdays whenever I had time. I am really enjoying thinking about this story. Also, I really like every Level 5 character either because of their personality or power and sometimes both so I'll try to use them as often as I can. Misaka is one of the Level 5 characters that I'm holding out on because she's a huge part of the canon storyline and I really want to find a goof situation to use her. Anyways, let's get on with the chapter!**

…

**GROUP's Training Facility**

"Trial Run #106 begin."

The shooting range was empty aside from Accelerator standing at one of the booths, shooting at paper targets. He seemed to be completely focused on the task at hand, his stance and motions fluid as he fired the pistol he held in his hand with ease. The sound of gunshots filled the air as Accelerator pinpointed targets that popped up from behind cover and moved across the field. The bullets tore into the targets, reducing them to little more than pieces of shredded cardboard and paper. The targets fell away and Accelerator removed the ear protection he had been wearing, shaking his head. There was a satisfied smile on his face as he checked the gun he had been using, looking at the additional magazines he had lined up to be used.

"Looks like I won't have to rely on my ability as much." said the high level Esper as he loaded a new magazine into his weapon.

Accelerator looked around the shooting range and for the first time ever at GROUP's Train Facility, felt at ease. Sure, he was holding onto a weapon that he could effectively use against any intruders and also wielded an ability so strong that no Esper could possibly hope to ever challenge him and survive, but that didn't matter to Accelerator. For some strange reason there was something therapeutic about improving his shooting skills. He glanced down range and cocked the gun. Perhaps it was because GROUP had recently remodeled the shooting range after he had complained that it could only provide basic firearms training.

"Speaking of firearms…" Accelerator looked behind him at the large lockers that held a variety of different guns.

While pistols suited him just fine, he never stopped thinking about one day being able to use an assault rifle or an SMG with the same proficiency he demonstrated during trials while using pistols. He thought back to the encounter with the Hound Dogs when they kidnapped the stupid brat. Accelerator put the ear protection back on and pushed a button that served as the signal to start the next trial. Perhaps the desire to wield an assault rifle with great skill had been too foolish. After all, the shotgun he had used when he dealt with the Hound Dogs had been cumbersome and heavy although it could double as a cane.

"Trial Run #107 begin."

…

"You've spent quite a bit of time in here, Accelerator. Why haven't you come to the lounge at all?"

The slightly carefree voice of his teammate annoyed the Level 5 Esper, glancing back at Tsuchimikado as he put the gun down. He leaned against the booth wall and stared back at the blonde haired agent with an annoyed look on his face.

"What do you want? I'm in the middle of something. Surely you didn't come here just to make small talk." said Accelerator brusquely

Tsuchimikado didn't respond and instead turned to the storage lockers and unlocked them, pulling a pistol out. He retrieved several spare magazines and entered Accelerator's booth. Space would have been an issue with the old shooting range, but the remodeled booths were much larger, allowing two shooters to share a space. Accelerator just watched silently as Tsuchimikado loaded the gun and looked it over before looking at the Level 5 Esper.

"Well, I thought I'd practice my shooting as well." the GROUP agent paused for a second. "Did you get enough sleep last night? You look tired."

"Eh? What are you going on about?"

"I mean, didn't you get home late last night? I heard you ran into some thugs on your way home." said Tsuchimikado slyly as Accelerator glared at him.

"Is GROUP keeping surveillance on me or something? Keep the hell out of my personal life." growled Accelerator angrily as Tsuchimikado held up his hands, a smile on his face.

"Not just on you. GROUP makes sure its field agents are doing what they're supposed to be doing. Also, people talk." explained the blonde haired magician.

Accelerator backed off after that. He closed his eyes and just leaned against the booth wall, listening to the sound of gunshots as Tsuchimikado hit targets. Finally, after a few minutes of listening, Accelerator decided to talk again.

"Actually, I did encounter something interesting on that day." said Accelerator as Tsuchimikado stopped shooting to look at him.

"Really? Well then I'm all ears."

"I suppose you could say that I fought another Level 5."

"Oh? Was it the Meltdowner? Or perhaps it was the Railgun?"

Accelerator shook his head. The fight was still fresh in his mind.

"This idiot wasn't even on the list. The strength of his ability was definitely abnormal. He claimed to be Level 5 and if I wasn't the strongest Esper in Academy City I might have actually had to expend a bit of energy to take him down." said Accelerator as he left the booth, leaving Tsuchimikado to ponder what he had just heard.

**POLYGON's AIM Research Facility**

The Machine Shop Project was well underway, the number of members in the Level 5 Network rising by the day. Most of the test subjects were Child Errors, forcibly taken out of shelters and given room and board at the research facility itself. They were subjected to intensive testing of their abilities and their mental states were constantly monitored. Volunteers were to report to the facility for scheduled ability maintenance after school, partaking in a variety of trials. All tests were carried out within a large testing room, all of the volunteers practicing their newfound abilities and strength either independently or with Alice and other researchers.

Alice was currently standing in the testing room, looking to see if the room was suitable for today's exercises. Despite having worked as a senior researcher for POLYGON for almost fifteen years, she could never forget how impersonal and artificial the room looked, but at the same time felt like a place where one could run free without having to worry about being caged. The walls were painted white, but the floor was made up of fake grass. If seen from above the room would have looked sort of like a large enclosed soccer field. Alice checked her watch. It was almost time for the day's experiments to begin and she could already hear the chatter of the volunteers in the hallway.

"They've arrived at the facility, correct?" asked the voice from the transmitter in her ear.

"Yes, I can hear them coming." responded the researcher as the she waved to the volunteers who were entering the testing room.

"I think we'll be ready for field tests soon. The data you've given me is very promising. What do you think?"

Alice didn't respond immediately, taking some time to think about what she'd observed throughout all the monitoring she had done. The last of the volunteers entered the room and she decided to end the conversation quickly.

"I'll confirm my opinion after today's experiments. I'll also make sure to send a few of them your way so make sure you do a good job evaluating them. I don't collect data just to be proud of myself, you know." said Alice as the earpiece went silent.

She turned towards the volunteers who had gathered around her and smiled. She rubbed her hands together and looked around her in order to check if anybody was absent. Everybody was present.

"Everybody's here? Good. Today we'll be doing something a little bit more stressful. I'll make sure to push you guys especially hard today. If you guys do well today this will be the last experiment we perform within this research center. Let's get going!"

…

The volunteer named Michael Halifax took a step back as Alice cocked the gun, aiming it at the boy's head. While Michael was known for his smile and happy look on his face, it had been replaced by one of uncertainty and fear. Alice could visibly see the sweat dripping down his body. Everybody had stopped what they were doing and watched silently as Michael tried to reason with her.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Mrs. Arin. I-I've never actually been shot at before. I d-don't know if my ability can handle this…" said the tall boy nervously as Alice grinned, closing her left eye to aim down the gun's sights.

"Oh, come on, Michael! You've only been attacked with baby weapons like wrenches and lead pipes. You're a Level 5, aren't you? You should be able to block this!" said Alice playfully as she steadied her aim. "Oh, and call me Alice."

The sound of gunshots echoed through the room, startling some test subjects. Alice grinned when she saw the result of her attack. Michael stepped out from behind the thick section of concrete that had been raised out of the floor, a shocked look on his face. The bullets had been blocked completely and everybody else in the room clapped as the makeshift barrier slid back into the floor, looking like it had never been cut and raised up in the first place.

"See? Nothing to it, right?" said Alice as Michael slowly smiled, laughing triumphantly.

"That was amazing! I did it! I really did it!" shouted Michael with excitement as he ran around the testing room pumping his fists in the air, receiving high fives from pretty much everybody he passed.

Alice decided to give Michael some independent practice and moved on to the next test subject.

…

"You're definitely improving. Not as good as your brother, but I guess that's expected." said Alice as he watched John hit a wooden board with nails that were generated by his ability.

"Y-You too." said the thin boy awkwardly as he continued to concentrate on hitting the board.

Alice continued to watch John hit targets, wondering why he wasn't more like his brother when she noticed a test subject trying to get here attention. She turned to help her.

"Sorry I didn't see you sooner. I was too busy observing John's ability. What is it you wanted help with, Saten?"

The high school girl certainly seemed excited to talk to her. Alice couldn't tell what high school she was from, but she knew that it wasn't one of the higher ranked ones. The only school uniform she could identify was Tokiwadai's.

"I just wanted to show you how much I've improved since last time." said Saten as she stepped in front of a steel garbage can, extending her arm so that her palm faced the garbage can.

While watching this Alice couldn't help but feel a little sad. She had been provided with brief backgrounds on each of the test subjects and for some reason she couldn't help but support Saten Ruiko more than anybody else in the project because she was originally a Level 0 who never stopped trying to develop a power, even putting her life in danger by using the Level Upper. Saten never seemed to give up and seeing her improve her control over her ability just gave Alice a strange warm feeling that couldn't really be described by words alone. The sound of metal collapsing in on itself brought Alice out of her warm thoughts and back into the experimental setting she had spent her whole adult life in. The garbage can was lying in a heap of scrap and Saten was smiling up at Alice.

"Don't you think I've improved?" she asked as Alice observed the destroyed garbage can with interest.

"That is certainly an improvement over last time, indeed. Excellent work, Saten."

…

As soon as the last volunteer left the research facility Alice touched the transmitter in her ear. She was tired, but she still had some reporting to do before she could even think about leaving for home.

"Today's experiments have finished." said Alice neutrally.

"Oh? What do you think? Are they ready for field testing?"

"Yes, I think they are. Also, I've spoken with a few of them. They should be on their way. I hope this will help end your inactivity."

"Alright, I'll admit that I've been rather lethargic recently. I'll consider your picks and I'll make sure to decide tonight. Also, could you restock nutritional supplies? I mean for both the COMMUNIATE room and the cafeteria. The kids are complaining about the lack of variety and even I have to admit that it's lacking in vital nutrients."

"Well, food's rather expensive and those who don't work will not eat, so I can definitely get the kids better food, but I'm not sure about you."

"You're never going to let me off the hook, are you?"

"I wouldn't could on being let out of the doghouse anytime soon."

And with that she exited the testing room and headed home with a smile on her face.

**COMMUNICATE room**

"Yet another dinner where I will not feel satisfied in any way." sighed Roland sadly as he poured the hot water into the cup ramen bowl.

Roland had never viewed solitude as a terrible thing, but after staying in a single room with Spartan comforts, he had started to reverse his opinion. The researcher was currently sitting on the cold concrete floor in his pajamas, waiting for his instant ramen to cook so that he could eat yet another bland meal. A small wooden floor table was where he was eating and a mattress lay next to it, the sheets thrown to the side. Light was primarily provided by the large number of computer monitors that shined brightly in the darkness of the room. Honestly, the room was rather depressing, but it was what Roland had been calling home for the past few weeks. The researcher grabbed the bowl of ramen and headed over to his chair in front of the mass of computer monitors. The screens displayed various things ranging from the current news to a series of constantly fluctuating charts. Roland started to eat the noodles, trying not to think about how boring his dinner was.

He had been running maintenance on the Level 5 Network for several weeks. He spent almost every hour monitoring the brainwaves of those who were currently hooked up to the network and the lack of sleep and boredom was slowly eating away at him. Roland growled irritably as he turned to watch the news. To his disappointment, nothing of great importance had happened. Roland finished his dinner and threw the plastic bowl in the trashcan, getting right back to work. His fingers tapped the keyboard restlessly as he tried to think of what was to come next. He needed something to do aside from just watching a computer monitor. Roland spun back and forth in his chair, thinking. He immediately regretted his decision to pursue maintenance over selection of the network's PROCESSOR. Roland closed his eyes and felt some shame. His own indecision had created even more work for his wife who was already swamped with lab experiments. He sat for a moment and relaxed, thinking about the candidates that he had received.

"Well, I can only make up for my past mistakes with my future accomplishments." said Roland as he opened his eyes and started to type on his keyboard, several profiles coming up.

The sound of the door opening made Roland turn around expecting his wife or another researcher entering the room. Instead, there was a teenager. He was thin and looked like he would crack under any slight pressure. It was difficult to see because of the room's lack of light, but Roland thought that he saw that the teenager had brown hair and wore glasses. Whoever he was, he was a high school student, wearing the classic white dress shirt and navy blue pants. Roland spun in his chair and turned to face the student.

"Who would you be?" he asked.

"I'm John Halifax. I was told to come here by Mrs. Arin."

A candidate? A thought passed through Roland's head but he decided to hold on to it for later. He observed John Halifax as the student stood there in front of him, a sense of nervousness and anxiety coming from him. He noticed several things about John that were concerning. He folded his arms and sat back in the chair.

"You haven't been hardwired, have you?"

"I have not."

Roland was interested in the boy, but then again he was interested in all test subjects. He decided to push forward. He wanted to learn more.

"Why?" asked Roland, the student shifting nervously.

"I-I don't want to sound paranoid, but I really didn't trust you guys at all. My brother was the one who took me there. To be honest, I was scared. I don't want people messing with my mind. To tell you the truth, I'm still scared." said John quietly as Roland nodded his head, thinking.

Roland motioned for the boy to stay put. He headed over to the computers and plugged something in, typing on the keyboard. The researcher once again faced the boy.

"So how exactly did you even enter the program without being hardwired?"

"I told Mrs. Arin about my fear and she told me that I could go through Personal Reality Alteration and still be admitted into the program. I figured that it was the minimum price I had to pay in order to play this game." explained John as Roland quietly turned around to check the computer screens.

A certain amount of awkward silence passed before Roland spoke again. His voice carried a hint of irritation.

"This isn't a game." said Roland as he unplugged what he had been working on, turning to face John, a look of utmost seriousness on his face. "You're currently a part of an experiment that will forever change the way Academy City works. We're messing with people's brains and you think that it's all just part of some game that somebody can play and win? It's more than that, John. You need to understand that we're doing this for a reason. It's not just to give you guys some cool new toys to play with. This is about forever changing the way your mind works and I thought someone like you, who is obviously wary of something like this, would know that."

John just looked down at the ground, ashamed. He was disappointed with his own inability to figure out what was happening. He had always seen himself as at least somebody who could hold their own in a battle of intelligence, but he found out that he was out of his league when it came to the experimental world he had just stepped into. He looked up to see the short man in the lab coat toss something to him. He caught it and looked at it. It was an mp3 player. John turned it on and looked at the songs. There was only one and it was called "PROCESSOR Ammunition." He looked up at the researcher with a confused look on his face.

"Why are you giving me this?" he asked.

"It's something that you should never go anywhere without. Always carry it with you." explained Roland.

"Why? Does this relate to my ability?" asked John.

Roland sighed and scratched his head. This was turning out to be a rather annoying conversation.

"Your original ability was Materializer. As a result of the Personal Reality Alternation your ability has been changed and I've decided to call it Brain Drain."

"Brain Drain? I get that I have to use my brain to create things, but where does the 'drain' part come in?"

"It's harder to see the clear difference between your current and old ability because they're so similar, so I'll explain it to you." said Roland as he stood up. "Your current ability relies totally on your ability to process and convert information into solid objects. The first part of the ability is similar to Materializer, however, it may be stronger but it also comes with a price. When you use your ability, you lose the information used completely because it had been processed and converted. This can lead to serious problems if you were to use your ability continuously. You would eventually run out of useable 'ammunition' and would risk using something vital like crucial memories or maybe even your ability to speak. It's a frightening scenario and that's where that mp3 player can make up for your weakness. The current fourth Level 5, Mugino Shizuri, uses silicon cards to spread her attacks in order to make up for the fact that she can only hit four targets at once. You'll use that mp3 player as a means of acquiring extra 'ammunition' to use in battle. That single song contains all of the facts that DUKE III could compile from the internet and it also has different speed settings to accommodate the pace of the fight."

John thought about what he had heard and felt overwhelmed. Now that he knew the damage his own ability could do to him, he felt even more unsure about his ability to carry on. His hand trembled as he asked a question.

"So, why was I called here? Surely, it wasn't just to give me this mp3 player."

Roland nodded. The kid was catching on. It was a good sign.

"You were called her because I think you'll be beneficial to the whole network. There are others who exhibit the same qualities you show, but I've decided to test my current theories on you. I've decided to temporarily make you PROCESSOR, the command center of the Level 5 Network in order to see how much power the network currently carries. You're only a Level 2 so you're an ideal subject to test this on." Roland stretched and yawned. "You aren't, however, an ideal subject to become the permanent commander of this project, but if you show me you possess something more than what you've shown me today, I'll consider you. You're free to go now."

John nodded his head and left the room, leaving Roland behind. The scientist smiled as he sat back in his chair, pushing himself back over to the mass of computer screens. Had he been too harsh? He certainly didn't think so. He hoped that what he said would sink in with the kid, driving John to try even harder. It would be interesting to test his current theories on him and also watch him compete against the other candidates who already exhibited the qualities he wanted. Roland typed commands on the keyboard and the screen in front of him displayed several programs he had written. He selected one and activated it.

"Administrator Roland activating PROCESSOR Privilege to subject Halifax J2." said Roland as he pressed the enter key, activating the program.

The researcher smiled with glee as he sat back and watched the program work its magic. It was finally happening. Once PROCESSOR's development was complete, there was nothing anybody could to do stop it. Not even Accelerator could stop it.

"It's smooth sailing from here on. They can't do anything to stop it. Enjoy your positions while they last. They won't be around for long…"

…

**And that's it for the fourth chapter! This chapter was a lot longer than what I usually write. I got really into it especially as the week went on and I really enjoyed writing this chapter although I'm not totally happy with the way it turned out. Still, I promised the chapter would be out Saturday and I intend to keep my promise. I noticed that this chapter was once again very dialogue heavy, so I hope it doesn't bore you to tears. Tell me what you think about by leaving a review. The reviews really keep me going. Next chapter I'm thinking of something more action oriented. Anyways, I'll see you all later!**


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